Visiting the Haute Photographie exhibitions, this time in Rotterdam, always renews my excitement for everything photography can offer. Meeting artists, discussing their work, motivations, and passions, discovering images never seen before, and marvelling at beautiful photographs all combine to create, for me, a constant source of inspiration. And it happens every single time. This year, and superlatives hardly suffice, Roy Kahmann and his team have assembled an extraordinary showcase of international talent, spanning all genres and approaches. I am always drawn to the established names, his trusted core of photographers, such as Yani, Nina Hauben, or J.D., but equally to the lesser-known by me and emerging talents, those exhibiting for the first or second time. I was particularly captivated by the photographs of Esther van der Wallen: subtle black-and-white works, some of which almost resemble delicate graphite drawings, especially her Joie de Vivre series. I was also struck by the abstract compositions of Ensis (razor clams) by Janko Bosch, and by Golden Youth of Senegal by Carl Andile Holman. I spent time with Leon Bouwman and Rik Klein Gotink, both first-time exhibitors past their sixtieth birthday. Leon focuses on the compositional strength of his travel photography, while Rik, specialised in photographing cultural heritage, explores his surroundings in infrared in his free time. Both approaches are close to my heart and were warmly received. It was also a pleasure to meet Alina Araslanova again, and her neighbour Julia Wimmerlin for the first time. Julia is a talented young artist with a remarkable mastery of colour. I lingered for a while, admiring her poppy field beneath a shifting yellow sky: truly stunning.
